Day 43

We got up and visited for a while in Norman. Grant is still feverish but otherwise okay. We had a long night of vomiting and sleeping on the floor to deal with. I suspect he has gotten some stomach bug. Then we loaded up for the final leg to continue the last leg of the long journey home. It was largely uneventful. We made a stop at Chick fil A for lunch and continued home to Temple. A thunderstorm began as we drove into town. Our neighbor who happened to be outside as we arrived home said it was some of the first real rain they had since we left. It is very hot and muggy. Definitely some of the warmest temperatures in a while. Returning home was kind of bittersweet. On one hand it I great to be back, but on the other there is a sense of loss, a longing for the adventure and lifestyle that was the adventure. Stepping into the house, the kitchen and living area seem so huge, after living for a month in the trailer. We spent several hours cleaning the trailer and then took it back to the storage lot. It is amazing how much junk accumulated in that time. It was not until I drove off that it hit me. The adventure had ended. It was time return to the real world. I have a job I must go to. There are bills to pay and a yard to tend to. All of the things of everyday life that you think of and address in the real world came flooding back.
12,000 miles
2 countries
1 flat tire
1 set of new tires
43 days and 1 ER visit later we have returned
I return broke, tired, and getting ready to open a new chapter in my life. But alas, if I die tomorrow, I will die a very rich man. Not rich in the sense of a fat bank account, but rich in other treasures. I have witnessed some of the most powerful beauty of all God’s creation, the beauty of indigo blue lakes flanked by snow capped mountains, The raw, unforgiving, enormous expanse of true wilderness, the sound of true silence, the midnight sun, the perfectness of a perfect moment. These are the treasures we returned with from our Adventure. They are not treasures you can buy, but indeed they are valuable. I thank God I could experience such things during my time on Earth. It is time for the next chapter and we will see what new adventures that chapter holds.
The trip blog is officially closed
The Browne’s Alaskan Adventure has officially come to an end.

Day 42

We drove on to Norman. It was a straight flat drive. We did see a bad wreck on the outskirts of Norman and got aught in traffic for 30 minutes. We arrived at about 1 and hung out for a while with Brian. Kendra and the kids got home later. Grant has been very excited about visiting them and was very happy to see Kailey. We picked up some BBQ for dinner and it sure tasted good. We had been without good southern bbq for a while. The kids played for a bit and we noticed Grant had a fever of 103. HE complained of some belly pain and didn’t feel well. We gave him some Tylenol and then Brian and I set up a slip and slide in the backyard. Brian slid the kids down it like bowling balls. They had a blast. We put the kids to bed and Grant woke up a short time later and vomited all over the ground. I made a bed in the living room and went to sleep next to him should he get sick more overnight. Hopefully he will feel better tomorrow.

Day 41

We drove from Cheyenne to Salina Kansas today. It was long and uneventful. We were able to avoid any bad Denver traffic which was a plus. Kansas is very flat and boring. We stopped in a town called Colby Kansas and found a very nice City Park. We got McDonalds for lunch. In the Mcdonalds were a group of farmers sitting and discussing the latest rains and prices dressed in overalls and sipping coffee. We let Grant play a good while and continued on. The campsite in Saline was relatively run down and had a rude owner. Oh well, one last campsite anyways. We got to bed at a decent time. On to Norman tomorrow.

Day 40

Brigham City to Cheyenne was unevenly through Wyoming. The girls did most of the driving. It was mostly through the high country of Wyoming. We stopped for lunch and play at a place called Little America out in the middle of nowhere. We arrived at the campsite, a KOA, in Cheyenne. All in all it was nice. The people were friendly and it was clean. We got set up and I inspected the tires. I did not like the way the front right tire was wearing so I made the decision to rotate tires to avoid a blowout. This was a job without jackstands. I had to jack the trailer and remove a tire, then put on a spare, then jack and remove another, remove the spare and switch tires. It was like changing 3 tires. Of course it began to rain on me. Amy and Shari decided to go to a nearby Shari's restaurant to get a pie. I took grant and played putt putt golf and went to the playground. We had fun.

Day 39

We conducted another long range stretch today. Unfortunately we lost an hour and so it seemed we were behind. We drive from Pendleton Oregon to Brigham City Utah. The long stretches have made everyone miserable. It feels like we have developed some cabin fever. I suppose it is a real phenomenon. I should only hope we do not end up eating each other. We did stop at a park in Boise Idaho. Grant played with some children while Amy made a salmon salad. We have continued to gorge ourselves on fresh fruit. Unfortunately the girls missed the turnoff for the interstate to Brigham City and we could not turn around for 15 miles. Consequently we arrived after dark and we had to set up in the dark. I wore my LED headlight but it still wasn’t fun. I suppose constant daylight was cool. To bed for us and another long range mission to Cheyenne Wyoming g tomorrow.

Day 38

The border crossing was uneventful. I had grown paranoid they were going to confiscate my freezer of fish. The fish have become like treasure to me. We did have to wait about an hour in traffic waiting for the border. We continued on to Seattle where we got stuck in traffic. Traffic in the city is very stressful towing a trailer. We stopped for some quick breakfast items at a Fred Meyers. The drive was nice but smoky. We made great time on the interstate. We stopped for lunch in Yakima Washington; Yakima is in the middle of the Yakima Valley which is prime growing area for fruits. We picnicked at a park and resupplied at Wal Mart. We got back on the road and about 30 minutes later there was a little hand painted sign on the freeway that advertised fresh fruit. We exited and wound down a farm road to a fruit orchard. They had cherries and peaches and plums all grown there on the farm. We bought a huge bag of assorted fruit from a nice migrant worker. The fruit tastes fresh, ripe and sweet. That’s how a fruit stand should be. Grant thought it was neat to see the grapes growing on the vine there in the yard. We continued on to our campsite, gorging ourselves on cheap good fruit. The campsite tonight is basically a parking lot with hookups but it gets the job done. I took Grant to a local park to play while Shari and Amy cooked dinner. After we ate Shari and Amy went for a walk. They encountered some crazy meth addicted lady running around and screaming so they came running back to the trailer. The eventually ventured out again but this time with bear mace in case they encountered here again and she tried to bite them or something. Another long range mission awaits tomorrow.

Day 37

We slept in today. It was needed. We got up and went into downtown Vancouver. They have a city park called Stanley Park. There were many gardens and also a petting zoo and train ride that we took the kids to. They had a blast. There were goats and sheep and the like that they could pet and play with. We then went to the playground for a bit and a fat raccoon accosted Amy and Shari for food. It then went into the trash and stole some food. The traffic in Vancouver was very bad. It took us almost 2 hours to get back to the campsite. Downtown Vancouver seemed to be an interesting city. The people seemed to be trendy and vibrant. We spent the evening with Mother Bispham and her daughter Avril. Mother B knew my father growing up back in Barbados. She is now 97 and recently suffered a broken leg after a fall and had some setbacks during her recovery. She is now in a rehab facility getting her strength up. We went first to the house where Avril cooked us some good home cooked food. It was delicious and nice to sit down at a table for some home cooking for the first time in weeks. We then went over to the rehab facility to see mother B. The facility was very nice and it was very good to see her. She looked good and seemed to be in good spirits. We sat for a while and then went back for the evening. We got the children to bed. Tomorrow it’s back to the lower 48.

Day 36

We left the disgusting campsite early. We drove a long range bomb to Vancouver today. It took all day since much of the drive was on 2 lane highways. We slowly returned to civilization. The gas stations began getting more frequent and the wilderness less and less. It was somehow comforting to return to civilization, yet I felt like I left something in the wilderness. Returning to civilization somehow made it feel over. It felt like the purity of the nature was gone. The fires are bad today. The smoke so thick it has blotted the sun. Several time helicopters swooped to the rivers bellow to fill up their fire dousing buckets. The news last night said that they were planning on bringing re-enforcements from Australia and New Zealand. We descended into Vancouver and got on the freeway. We made our way top our campsite which was actually just 2 miles or so from the border. It was actually a difficult site to get the trailer into but Amy the master helmsman got it done. We have an off today in Vancouver and we are looking forward to the break from driving.

Day 35

We made the drive from Stewart to Prince George today. We got up and got a decent start. Shari and Amy went to a local bakery and got some breakfast things. The road was pretty good and the smoke seems to have cleared a bit. We couldn’t make good time because the road was very winding and mountainous. A silly little black bear ran in front of the rig and seemed to be frolicking in a nearby field. We stopped in a local town with a park and had lunch. I cooked hot dogs while Grant played in the park. There were plenty of other kids there and he had blast until he was struck by the merry go round and came running crying. There was a medium sized airport in the town and there was a constant stream of fire bomber aircraft returning, refilling and then taking off again. The fires must be raging. We continued on to Prince George BC. It seems like we are getting closer to civilization. We stopped in the campsite in Prince George and I went to check in. We got set up and I went in to pay. I am a member of Good Sam which is like AAA for RV owners. I showed him my Good Sam card to get my discount. I have a temporary card and it does not look like the permanent ones as I have recently joined the club. The old man said “That cards no good”. I said excuse me. He proceeded to accuse me of counterfeiting my Good Sam card. He said “I don’t know where you get these made but its not Good Sam”. I was furious. HE refused to give me my discount. I logged into the Good Sam website later and showed him my active account. I was livid. I will file a complaint with Good Sam against the guy for that behavior. I guess some things will never change.Day 35

Day 34

Today was a shorter day of driving. We drove about 250 km to Stewart Alaska. Stewart is an offshoot of the highway that leads to the town of Stewart and Hyder. Hyder is in Alaska and Stewart is in Canada. The offshoot from the main highway was very scenic. There were mountain views and even a glacier that was calving into a lake. We arrived in Stewart and checked into the city campground. The only hookup is electricity so we filled our tanks. The campground was rather scenic and a bargain at only 17 bucks a night. They have electrical hookups to keep the fish cold. Just past Hyder is a National forest service area where there is a salmon spawning stream and an area where bears often come to eat them while they spawn. All of the guidebooks say that when you cross into Hyder you must eat at “the bus”. Hyder is a tiny town of 100. The only road there is through Canada and all other access is by plane. There is no customs to get there. The Bus is an old school bus that has been converted to a kitchen. There is a lady that works there and has always worked there. Her husband is a fisherman and gives her a small part of the catch to sell out of the bus. We all ordered Halibut fish and chips and a bowl of chowder. It was so delicious and the food tastes so fresh. Probably the best meal we have eaten all trip. She had old photo albums to peruse as well as an account written by some friends of hers of one that got mauled by a bear. Apparently they escaped by bashing the bears head with rocks until it aborted the attack. After supper we continued on to the national forest and the bear viewing area. At first there were no bears. We sat down on a bench and tried to keep a grumpy rant from going nuts. Alex met several old ladies that were very glad to play with her and keep her company. Finally a bear showed up. It galloped through the water and after several misses finally caught some salmon. It ate it right there on the banks in front of us. What a raw display of nature. It was quite awesome to see. Amy was bale to get some pictures. We watched the bear for a while and went back to the trailer. The kids fell asleep on the way back. We let them sleep and Amy and I went for a walk while Shari made a blueberry tart. A long drive awaits tomorrow.

Day 33

It was a long day today. We drove from Whitehorse Yukon to near Iskut BC. The smoke was bad today. Amy drove the whole time with Shari in the front. They had their girl talk while I dealt with the kids. I asked the gas station attendant on the highway about the fires. He said that there were so many burning that they had no idea where the smoke was from. I checked the wheels multiple times and the hub and bearings on the leaking hub seem to be of normal temp and function. We turned off of the main Alaska Highway onto the Cassiar highway for a different route home. The Cassiar is m ore Westerly and has better scenery. It is more of a minor highway than even the Alcan. Much of the drive today was on gravel road. Although we passed many mountain lakes and beautiful scenery, much of it was obscured by smoked. Toward the end the smoke began to clear, we picked a campsite called mountain shadow. It was next to a lake in front of a huge mountain with glaciers. We stopped and set up. There was a babbling brook behind the trailer that delivered relaxing sounds all evening. We took an afternoon hike down to the lake and watched some loons and an n eagle soar overhead. It was so relaxing. We spent much of our evening trying to put Grant to sleep as he refused to go to sleep.

Day 32

Amy and Grant had their free breakfast today. I was too cheap to pay 12 dollars for it so I stayed and made fish tacos with the leftover fish and chips. They said the sourdough pancakes were so sour they almost couldn’t eat them. They said the reindeer sausage and biscuits and gravy were good though. We got a decent start but soon lost an hour as we crossed the border into Canada. It was weird to leave Alaska as this signified the end of the journey and the return home. There must be forest fires burning. The smoke is very thick. So thick that is obscured much of the views. We were supposed to be able to see the St Elias mountain range. We made pretty good time stopping for gas and to run Grant at a few rest stops. We arrived in Whitehorse Yukon pretty late. We stayed at the same campground as last time as it was very nice. Grant played on the playground with some German children. It was funny to see them speaking German and him trying to respond in gibberish because he thought that was their language. He played hard and then we went back to eat. Amy had made delicious venison stroganoff. I noticed when we pulled into the campground that there were grease streaks in a star pattern from one of the trailer wheel hubs. I removed the hub cover to find the metal dust cap had worked its way loose allowing the grease to escape. The bearing seems intact, so I will push some grease back in there and hammer the dust cap back and we will see how it goes. Hopefully I am not losing the bearing.

Day 31

We made the drive from Valdez to Tok Alaska today. It wasn’t very far but took a while because we stopped and looked at a few things. On the way out of Valdez we went to a little Forrest service protected stream and watched some salmon spawn. We then enjoyed the drive again on the Richardson highway. We stopped by the glacier and hiked up to it. I ran Grant around in the gravel to try and burn some energy off. The girls did most of the driving today and talked about girly things while I rode in the back with the kids. It wasn’t half bad just being a passenger. We arrived at our campground in Tok. It is called Sourdough Joes. Every evening they have a sourdough pancake toss. You basically toss stale pancakes into a bucket from like 20 feet away. Amy and I both lost at first. Grant tried and they let him walk right up and throw a giant pancake into the bucket. He got a free breakfast. Then the host had a game for the losers. It involved 2 couples. The men had to hold a bucket on their head while the woman threw pancakes into it. Amy and I were quick to volunteer and we won. We were like circus clowns. We also apparently set the record for this season. We caught 13 in 30 seconds.
PS The freezer seems to be working nicely.